All characters are Stephenie Meyers. I don't own them I wish I did ;o)

Yuck now I am sick again. My son apparently likes to share everything! Oh well – I hope you like the next chapter. It is a little shorter than normal in this story. Big day is coming. Please read and tell me what you think.

Here is the last little bit from the previous chapter.

She ate in silence which worried me a little bit. She had been quiet since we had another impasse earlier. She was never this quiet. There was always something she was doing. I couldn't chalk this up to the funeral. Something else was going on.

"Bella, love, are you okay?"

"Just thinking about the future." She told me in a quiet voice.

"What about the future?" I prompted.

"About me." She replied.

"What about you?" Now I was curious.

"Lots of things Edward. Nothing in particular."

I let it drop. I would ask again another time. I didn't want to push her. Maybe she would be willing to tell me. I hoped that she trusted me enough to do that.

Bella finished eating and put the plate down. She got up and we went hand in hand upstairs.

"Don't worry Edward. I just have to figure out what I am doing."

~munchkin1978



Why?

Chapter 16

I watched her enter our room. I questioned her last statement. I didn't know what she was thinking unless she told me. I didn't want to push her just yet. I really wanted to know what she meant by it. I had let it go a few minutes ago but now I wish I could know her thoughts. I had to force myself to let it go again. I couldn't be in control. She had to do this on her own. I had to keep telling myself that.

She lay on the bed dressed in her comfy clothes. I missed where she had headed to the bathroom to change. I was thinking about her previous comment. I was in my own thoughts, my own world.

"Your worrying Edward aren't you?" She asked watching me.

I didn't answer her. She knew me well. She knew I would brood over this. Worry over something that could not be helped because she was in control of it.

"You don't need to worry. I just need to make a decision that will affect our time here in Forks. Whether I stay behind for a little while and join you or go with you from the start."

"You know my preference." I wanted her with me. I was not leaving her behind again.

"I do. But I want my preference. I need to know if I am doing the right thing."

I half smiled at her. I knew what she meant. I couldn't control her decision this time. It was her decision to make. I wasn't going to leave her. I was going to be here to help her make the decision. She closed her eyes and before I knew it she had fallen asleep. Her heartbeat steady, her sleep peaceful for the moment. She was peaceful and I was brooding. I know I can't control everything for her. I couldn't control Charlie's death. I could have but it was something she had wanted. Life and death happens. I had seen it so many times before.

I ended up pacing the room wondering what could be going on in that head of hers. I still couldn't read her mind like I could for everyone else. Some people I wished I couldn't read their minds. I wanted nothing to do with the dogs but it did come in handy finding out information. I wanted to read Bella's mind. I wanted to know what she thought, what she dreamed about. What she was planning to do. I tried again and again with the same results. Would I ever be able to read her mind? I grumbled at myself for trying when I knew the answer.

I had finally stopped pacing long enough to gaze at her. She was peaceful still. There was no movement in her. She usually would have some movement. I sat down beside her and brushed away stray hairs that were covering her face. Her beautiful brown locks were fanning out behind her. Her eyes were fluttering. She was dreaming. Dreaming of us? Of our future? Of the past? I don't know. I pulled the blanket around her being careful not to wake her. She moved slightly causing me to stop suddenly. I thought I'd woken her. I heard Alice's mind as I moved to finish pulling up the blanket.

'Edward we are coming up the drive. You better be decent.'

I grumbled again. I looked at Bella to make sure I had not disturbed her sleep. We were not jack rabbits like the rest of the family. I just got Bella back. I was not going to jeopardize that. I rose again being careful not to disturb Bella again. I pulled the door closed behind me as I went through and reached the front door as Alice and Jasper burst through.

"The rest are behind us." Alice trilled out faster than I expected.

She stopped just as suddenly as she started. A vision was coming through. The beginning was fuzzy then it started to clear. It was raining like it always was then her vision settled down and proceeded.

"Alice?" Jasper said trying to move her from the doorway. She didn't budge. Then I started seeing it as she saw it. A funeral. Was this Charlie's funeral?

I watched the casket being lowered to the ground. Bella was sobbing. Not caring what other people thought. The vision was through her eyes I realized. Alice had never had this type of vision before. Bella was ready to jump in with the casket. She was straining forward against the arms that held her in place. Was it my arms she was straining against? She was being restrained by whom I didn't know. It didn't seem like me to restrain her. I listened to the surroundings as if I was in the vision with her. I heard the plunk of roses as the thorns scratched the surface of the casket and felt the release of the hands holding us back. I was Bella. I felt myself rush forward dropping the flowers onto the casket below. The deafening thud echoing in my ears. I still had all my senses and all my heightened ones. Including Bella's senses. She didn't step back. She watched the casket below until arms pulled her back. I didn't see who they were. Was it me?Was it me that was pulling her back?Was it someone else? I needed to know.

I watched the dirt land on the casket, committing it to the earth. The closing of a life. I felt Bella sob more but she remained in her seat. The thoughts evident in her head. This was the first time I had read her thoughts. Of all the times I had just tried and now I get to read them and see what she is thinking. How true they were I had no idea. I wanted to stay here and read them all but the vision continued.

She was screaming in her head. She was screaming that he would get wet. Then I heard a voice speak. "Bella come on you need to get out of the rain."

I felt arms pick us up making us leave the chair and the place of burial. We didn't want to leave; she didn't want to leave him alone. But who was alone? Was it Charlie? Fuzziness started to come through and then clear again continuing the vision.

An umbrella was placed over us and we were ushered into a black car. She was sitting with her hands in her lap. The half moon scar facing up. Her tears falling on them. Then I heard the voice again. "Just a little bit longer."

We stepped out of the car and she collapsed. Arms catching us as we fell. Then the vision ended getting fuzzy. Just like the beginning.

I had never been like that in one of Alice's visions. I was always watching on the side lines. Taking in all the details. This time I was combined with Bella. I felt what she felt.

I looked at Alice and searched for the rest of the vision before speaking. "Where is the rest?" I asked finally as Esme and Carlisle entered the house.

"I don't know Edward. That's the reason we came home early. I had to show it to you. I had to show you the vision. There is more, I can tell there is more but it is not coming out. I can't see it." She paused. "I'm sorry Edward."

I looked at her. Replaying what I had just seen. Some was fuzzy; other moments were clear as day. I was glad Alice had the vision but not that Bella was going to be that way. I knew she would be but to what extent I had no idea. Alice tried again for me to see what was blocking her. She couldn't see past her entering the car. I turned around and left both Alice and Jasper at the front door.

I headed back up stairs as I heard the rest of the family come in. I was moving at a human speed. I needed to think. I needed to help Bella cope with tomorrow.

I opened my door quietly and saw that Bella hadn't moved an inch. I had only been gone a few minutes but it seemed like an eternity. I hated being away from her but it had to be done. She would need me more than ever tomorrow.

I sat on the bed beside her making sure I didn't move her too much. She did need all the sleep she could get. I need not have worried about her because as soon as I sat down she had woken up.

"Sorry love, go back to sleep."

"I'm worried Edward." She said sleepily.

"About what?"

"Tomorrow…. I don't want the wolf pack to do anything to harm this family."

"They wouldn't dare Bella. Let me do the worrying okay."

"I'll still worry."

Some how I knew she would. I felt her curl up beside me and snuggle into the covers. All I could think of at that particular moment was Alice's vision. I didn't want to upset Bella but she needed to know what was going to happen. I was not going to keep secrets from her this time.

"Bella?"

"Hmmm"

"Alice had a vision about the funeral." I paused. I think it was about tomorrow. Now I was not so sure.

"It's bad….. Tell me please Edward." I could sense the tears welling up in her eyes.

"We are all okay. It's just how distraught you were. Half the vision was fuzzy at the end. It's worrying Alice and now me."

"I promised myself I was going to hold it together." I felt a tear drop onto my arm.

"It's okay Bella. I just don't like seeing you like that. It still pains me as much as it does you."

She didn't say anything. She was looking at her hands again, flipping them over and over till she spoke.

"I…. I don't know if I could have kept it together the last few days without you Edward. I know I was mad at you but I am so very glad you were here to take care of Charlie with Carlisle. If I had done this on my own I would be much worse." She paused looking up at me. "If you weren't here I would not have made it in time."

I pulled her closer to me. She laid her head on my shoulder and remained quiet for some time. Both of us were lost in thought. If it wasn't for Bella's heart beat I would have thought both of us had dead hearts. I didn't dare move any where. I wanted to console her and make the tears stop flowing. I knew I never could do that. This was something she needed to do for her father.

I heard Bella's heart beat slow again and I looked down. She was sleeping again on my shoulder. I gently put her on the pillow and remained where I was. I was going to be her statue, her rock. I was going to be her love.


Well what did you think?

So whose funeral did Alice see??? Was it Charlie's? Was it someone else? What is going to happen?

Please read and review. Let me know what you think!

~munchkin1978~